Saving a Ghost
by Lady RiRi
Summary: I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing fanfictions so here goes! The past year had been relatively peaceful for Sven and Eve until a new bounty is brought to their attention. The target is a little girl, but it doesn't take a scientist to realize that perhaps the main threat isn't the child, but her shoot first and ask questions later guardian. I don't own Black Cat!
1. Chapter 1

"Please...Please just tell me what I have to do."

Over the grimy video feed, all eyes in the room could see tears mixing with snot on the senator's face as a black boot dug into his right hand. They had not been watching long, one minute at the most. However, that minute painted a vivid enough picture to allow the imagination to roam regarding what could have happened before the camera was turned on. They all knew that the bloody nose came from a boot to the senator's face, but how had his legs become a mangled mess? Were the fingers of his left and broken one by one?

"I-I have money! I have influences! No one ever has to know about this." The man was obviously clinging to false hope inspired by the foot being removed from his hand, but fresh sobs racked his back at the click of what could only be a gun.

"Please just let me go..." Desperation had to be his motivation for using his elbows to pull his broken body inch by inch across the room, but the jean covered leg of his torturer could be seen almost lazily following behind. "I have a family. My daughter's only-only six." He pleaded, but those must have been the wrong words. In two quick strides, the pursuer had moved to the senator's side and knelt down. For the first time, the camera's angle was in a position to show more than the legs of the intruder, but a silver mask prevented any distinguishable features from being shown. Based on the way the pursuer's head moved closer to the ear of the senator, quiet words were exchanged before the latter's face was slammed back to the ground. One clean shot to the back of the senator's head was all it took for Jonathon Langston's promising career to be brought to an end, and one shot to the camera brought an end to the only evidence left behind at the crime scene.

"Damn. We can't even tell if it was a man or woman."

"Had to be a man. No woman could be that extreme."

"Whatever. No man would have worn boots like those."

Sven Vollfied crushed his cigarette in the ashtray before lighting another. He was attempting to tune out the chatter of the nameless strangers around him as he read through the latest newspaper article concerning the victim. The press was having a field day covering Langston's murder, but then again, the man had been a constant media presence for the past year. There had actually been a bounty on him at one point. His wife had been found dead in the master bathroom of their mansion day after he left on an impromptu. Immediately all fingers pointed to the husband with the timing of his trip as proof that he was attempting to flee. Several women who claimed to have been sleeping with him came from all corners of the world with stories of his abusive nature, especially when they expressed a desire to end their relationship. One or two even came forth with allegations that he raped them. It should have been an open and closed case for the prosecution, but rumors began to spread that each woman had been paid by one of his political rivals into incriminating him. Seeing as his record had been spotless until that incident, the general public believed in his innocence. The charges were dropped and Langston walked away from the whole scandal smelling like roses. He had even been spotted with a new trophy girlfriend on his arm not long ago although he claimed that she was nothing more than a secretary.

"So what's your take on it, Sven?"

Sven sighed before he dropped the paper on the table, and turned his attention to Annette who continued to clean the same glass he was sure she worked on while watching the video. "It's going to be a mess. You know everyone didn't believe that those women were corrupt. The problem is finding the one that's good enough to pull something like this off." The rumbling of his stomach cut off any other explanation he was willing to offer and caused a sheepish grin to cross his face as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm more interested in what the bounty's going to be."

"Speaking of which, I saved this for you." Annette responded after an audible tsk. While she poured him a cup of coffee, she subtly withdrew a folded sheet a paper from under the counter. Rather than sitting it down on the counter for him to get at his leisure, she actually brought it to his table with the paper serving as a coaster. Even before opening it, the warning bells began to ring at the degree of secrecy. Obviously, she wanted no one else to see the contents. He raised the cup with his hand that held his cigarette while the other slid the paper from the table to his lap and discreetly opened it. He then lowered the cup in order to raise the newspaper once more to give the appearance of reading. "An older man came in and put this up around the time I opened. Of course I took it down." She whispered before walking back to the counter.

"Good idea..." He muttered as he read the wanted ad over and over again. The target was a little girl who couldn't have been over seven. Her dark blue hair was pulled back into two short pigtails, and her smile practically screamed innocence. What made the ad even more bizarre was the reward offered. 1.2 billion yen for a little girl... "Did he say if she was a missing person or anything?" He asked while he attempted to find some hidden clue in the picture. There had to be something he was missing.

"That was the first thing I asked. He just said he wanted her dead or alive, and that she had last been seen in this city. I figured that a gentleman would be the best man for the job."

"I think you mean a gentleman with a young girl for a partner." Sven responded with a grin as he folded his paper with the ad inside and grabbed his attaché case. He knew this was going to be big. Maybe not as big as dealing with the Apostles of the Star or the Eden project a year ago, but definitely more exciting than the fodder he had captured lately. He just didn't know if that was a good thing or not.


	2. Chapter 2: Too Old to be a Threat

Author: Woooo! I know I said I would try to update once a week, but that was a bit too ambitious! Anyway, I hope people enjoy this chapter. I tried to make it lengthy to make up for the gap in time. Here's a head's up. The next chapter will be from Alex's point of view. Also, if I accidentally use the name "Alice", forgive me. That was her original name, but I decided to change it. I'm done babbling now.

"Sven...Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Probably not, but I think it will be our best shot. People with bounties either cause a commotion or attempt to blend in. We haven't heard anything about this kid, so I'm betting she doesn't draw attention to herself."

"And the best place for a child to blend in is a playground."

"Exactly." Sven smirked as he exhaled slowly. Everyday Eve's instincts or at least understanding of how he operated increased. He still didn't like the idea of her getting involved in Sweeper business, but he had accepted that helping others was a part of her life that he'd be cruel to take away. Then again, his acceptance was conditional. Hunting bounties was essentially a part-time job for her, but her primary focus had to remain on school. If he was lucky, she would even decide to attend university. It would be a local, but who knew? There was still plenty of time for her to decide exactly what she wanted in life aside from being at his side.

For at least an hour, he and Eve had sat on a bench observing and attempting to find any child that remotely resembled the young girl from the wanted poster. His chances at interaction were limited due to the watchful eyes of parents who he was sure would take offense to a ground man in a suit striking up conversation with random little girls. Eve's luck was not much better considering there was no one actually worthy of investigating. On the brighter side, the day was nice enough that he didn't particularly mind spending it outside even if his empty wallet said otherwise.

"Sven...To the left."

He hooked both his arms across the back of the bench, and leaned his head back. Using the ruse of cracking his neck, he did a quick scan of the general area Eve indicated and sure enough, there she was. Even among people of similar age and size, she stuck out like a sore thumb. While other children were fashionably dressed in shorts or flowery dresses in honor of the spring, their target wore a lime green t-shirt that reached her knees. Her flip-flops had seen better days. He wasn't sure what was under her shirt, but he was sure it would be something equally tasteless. She was depressing really, and Sven was willing to bet homeless. Better yet, perhaps she was a runaway. The problem with that theory was the woman whose hand she held.

Her attire was potentially worse than the kid. Her camouflage cargo pants were far too large even with a ratty belt. Despite the heat, she wore a loose off the shoulder black sweater with the sleeves rolled up. Since her pants drug the ground, he wasn't sure the state of her shoes, but he was pretty confident they were sneakers at one point. Her dark red hair was in desperate need of a comb, but strangely enough she was still attractive...In a slummy kind of way. The only modern item she visibly possessed was a book bag stuffed to the brim. Interesting...

"That's definitely her." He confirmed off-handedly. The woman had knelt down to listen to something the child was saying. He had no idea what they discussed, but based on the way that the woman glanced around and nodded before the child ran off to the swing, they reached an agreement. Apparently they intended to remain in the area for awhile for the woman dropped the bag to the ground and sat down on the ground, using it as support. "Alright. Try to talk to her. If we can even get a name we'll consider this a success. I'll handle the woman she was with. Wait until I'm talking to her before making a move."

After Eve nodded in understanding, Sven stood with his attaché case in hand. There were several ways he could handle the situation, but each scenario ended with her either storming off or slapping him as women tended to do. If he approached her as a gentleman, she'd go on the defensive or assume he was propositioning her. Then again, maybe he was just stereotyping her based on her attire. His best option was to attempt to engage her in a neutral yet engaging conversation topic. To buy himself time to think of what could possibly interest her, he kept his stride casual. He even kicked a stray soccer ball back to a group of kids eager to get back to their game. By the time he was actually in speaking distance of the woman, her attention was completely on him.

"Took you long enough to come over here."

The dryness of her tone took him by surprise more so than the fact that she knew he had been observing her. There was no suspicion or hesitation. It was like she didn't even care that a random stranger had been watching her. Well, if she was going to be nonchalant about the entire ordeal, he would play along. "I was having trouble thinking of a reason to talk to you," He responded feigning sheepishness.

"Why didn't you just ask your friends over there?" She retorted pointing to a silver car off to his right. His brow furthered as he moved to her side and lowered himself down as well. Sure enough, there was a silver unimpressive car with tinted windows sitting at the corner. Now that was unexpected. He wasn't sure if there were people inside nor how many, but she seemed confident of their presence. "If I said I wasn't with them, would you believe me?" He asked drawing one of his knees up so that he could dangle the opposing arm across it.

He almost thought she wasn't going to answer his question due to at least a minute passing with no response; but when he glanced over to her, he realized that she had been staring at him. Actually, it was more like her gray eyes were dissecting him. When their eyes met, she gave a soft tsk sound before returning her attention back to the swing set. "Probably. You're too old to be with them."

"Old?" He exclaimed incredulously. Now that he thought about it, she couldn't have been older than twenty-five. "I'm only thirty-one..." He mumbled under his breath as he pulled out his cigarettes and lighter from his pocket. It was subtle, but he caught a slight shift in her posture the moment his hand moved. Rather than comment on the move or assure her that he wasn't a threat yet, he followed her lead and checked on Eve's process. They seemed to be becoming instant friends, or at least the little girl was having fun while Eve pushed her from behind on the swing. "And who would they be?"

"Do you really want to know?"

No. "Sure. It'd be a shame to end this conversation now."

It was her brow that time that furrowed at his response before she shrugged. "They're the minions of crazy doctor determined to kill my kid." She responded just as nonchalantly as she had when approached.

He wasn't sure if things were becoming clearer or more muddled by the second, but he officially realized that he was neck deep in a mess. Oh he believed her story completely despite the gaping holes, but rather than getting answers, he found himself stuck with more questions. Exactly why did this so called doctor want that child to be killed? Was the little girl really the woman's daughter despite their lack of shared physical characteristics? More importantly, why was she so willing to tell him? "I think you mean a crazy doctor willing to pay 1.2 mil."

"What?" For the first time her voice held some trace of emotion. It was a mixture of disbelief and fury. Immediately she grabbed her bag, stood to her feet, and stalked off towards the child with Sven was right behind her.

"Calm down." He ordered to her retreating back. As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. He couldn't just let her leave. "A bounty's been put out on that little girl's life, and I'm a sweeper."

"You're not a Sweeper. You're a dead man." She hissed as she snatched her hand away and aimed its elbow at his jaw. He was barely able to step back to avoid the assault, but she used the momentum of her swing to drop to the ground and transition into a low sweeping kick successfully tripping him. He hit the ground hard, but recovered just in time to bring his attaché case up as a shield to stop her elbow from hitting his face. He had to admit that she was good. Her moves were quick and precise with no wasted energy. Desperate times called for desperate measures. His hand moved to uncover his Glasper Eye, but fate intervened. A frantic scream of "Alex!" Caused her head to turn sharply towards the cry. "Damn it." She muttered as she scrambled away from him to avoid Eve's strike.

Eve's hand had transformed into her preferred hammer, and he was forced to roll to the side to avoid being flattened. Alex, as he assumed her name to be, began to back away, but she didn't get far. The little girl wrapped her arms around Alex's legs and buried her face in her jeans. By then the park was in a panic. People were either attempting to run or record the altercation on camcorders or other video capturing devices. To make the situation worse, the doors of the silver car had finally opened and four men dressed completely in white with black shades and bandanas over their mouths emerged. The men each held what looked to be stun batons, and one even had something that looked like a bomb of some sort.

"I'm scared..." Sven could barely hear the small voice over the commotion, but Alex must have heard her clearly because she nudged the child further behind her. "Don't worry. I've got this." Was Alex's response, but Sven wasn't so sure. However, he did make a decision. There was no way a little girl who practically trembled out of fear could be a danger to anyone, and he would not idly sit back and watch her be hurt.

"You want to help them." Even commented matter-of-fact as her hands morphed from hammers to a shield. Sven only grinned in response. Yeah...She was definitely beginning to understand how he operated.

He took a step forward, and Alex's hand began drifting to the side. He raised his free and shook his head and continued walking. "Listen. Meet us in two hours at the Cait Sith Café. Annette, an older lady probably smoking, will take care of you."

"Why are you..." She started asked but Sven chuckled, effectively cutting her off. "Because it's the gentlemanly thing to do. Run."

Without another word, Alex knelt down, and the child immediately switched her death grip from Alex's leg to her neck. When the child's legs were wrapped securely around Alex's waist, she took off. Immediately the men moved to follow, but Sven and Eve were ready. From his case he fired a net while wings sprouted from Eve's back in order to launch her feather bullet attack.

He didn't know whether or not Alex would actually do as he asked, but he did know that they were going to be seeing a lot of each other whether she liked it or not.


	3. Chapter 3: Just 5 minutes

**Author: Hm...It seems like Sven doesn't get much love around here. If anyone has any advice or suggestions, don't be afraid to let me know. The story is still new enough for me to change my style. Also, if there are parts that don't make sense, bring that to my attention as well. I want certain things (like ages and time periods) revealed over time, but the mystery aspect might be too much. Anyway, on to the story!**

A gentleman? More like an idiot, but who was she to question a free escape? If that guy wanted to put his neck on the line for a woman who flat out told him that four ARMED men dressed in white wanted her dead, she would gladly let him. In fact, she actually did him a favor. The second he sat down beside her he was marked, but she gave him a fair warning. At least those guys in the park would make the kill quick and mess free. Well, as mess free as a massacre could possibly be considering that all evidence, including witnesses) of the encounter had to be erased. Of course none of that mattered at the moment. The only things she had to focus on were making sure she didn't drop Robin and putting as much distance between herself and the minions as possible.

"Are we safe now?"

Alex almost smiled at the absurdity of that question, but the severity of their current task outweighed her amusement. "I guess we're as safe as we usually are." She replied between breaths. She knew had to keep running, but she was almost on the verge of wheezing. Of all the times for her body to require attention...She hadn't even gone a solid mile, and she was forced to lower her sprint to a brisk walk. She should have barely broken a sweat over that short of a distance even with her passenger. It had to be a combination of the sun and lack of sleep. If they were going to make it any further, she was going to need either coffee or an energy shot, and she needed it immediately. "How about we grab lunch?" She asked as she ducked into an empty alley and knelt down low enough for Robin to safely drop the ground.

"At Cait Sith?"

"Hell no." Was the blunt answer to that question. Alex wasn't even going to consider such a request. Those two were dead, and she didn't want to put Robin in a position to be disappointed. She also didn't want to say it out loud, but she had a feeling telling the truth was the only way to end the incessant tugging on her sweater.

"Please? Eve was really nice and told me we could play together again!"

So Eve was the blonde kid. "Nice? I guess you missed the part where she went after me with a hammer." Alex retorted with a roll of her eyes. She stretched her arms over her head and focused on taking deep breaths. Even if they managed to live, the guy had called himself a sweeper. She may not have known much about that profession, but she was sure that they were connected with the police department in some way. Under no circumstances could she become involved with the law. If they knew what she had done in her life, they wouldn't even bother with an arrest. She would be sent directly to the electric chair. On the other hand, that guy mentioned a bounty on Robin's head which she definitely could not ignore. Rather than panicking, maybe she should have pressed him for more information. In hindsight, he could have been more than a creepy old man especially considering Eve was not a typical teenager. While she didn't exactly experience a normal teenage life herself, Alex knew damn well that people did not have hammers as arms without some sort of genetic mutation. Maybe, just maybe, they would actually make it out alive. If that was the case, she'd have to finish the job. They knew far too much to be allowed to live.

"She only went after you because you hit Sven." In Alex's defense, he had touched her first, but she would let that point slide. However, she had a bad feeling that she was not going to like the answer to her next question.

"Sven? Sounds like you two learned quite a bit about each other...What exactly did you tell her?" That ominous feeling grew worse when Robin's face look down towards the ground instead of answer. "Robin. What. Did. You. Tell. Her?" Alex asked again as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her irritation level was rising with each passing second, and Robin knew it. They had been together long enough for Alex to notice that when Robin had done something wrong, she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying. At that moment, Robin was chewing it like there was no tomorrow.

"I...I...I told her you weren't my mother, and that I don't really remember my mom and dad. And-And we move around a lot. I only told her because she said Sven wasn't her dad, and she didn't have parents either!" The more she spoke, the louder and more frantic she became until Alex was left with no choice but to kneel down and pull her into a tight hug.

"Shh. Shhhhh. It's ok. I just need you to remember not to talk so freely to strangers ok? Can you do that for me? Hm?" As she spoke, Alex used her thumbs to wipe away Robin's tears. Sometimes she forgot that Robin was only six years old, or rather she wanted to forget. She wanted Robin to be as experienced as she was, and know that they never told the truth to anyone who would be capable of repeating what they knew. Then there were times like the park where she wanted Robin to be a normal little girl even if it was only for a few minutes. That was the reason they were together after all. "Stop crying. We'll go to this café place. You can get odango." She conceded, but conveniently left out the part about them going only to make sure those two were really dead.

She waited until Robin nodded before she stood. Rather than giving her another piggy back ride, she let Robin hold on to her hand as they walked. Due to knowing little to nothing about their current city, she had to stop by a phone booth in order to use the attached phone book to find the address. They had only been in town for about three days, and she had hoped to at least stay a week because of the low cost of living. Obviously that plan would have to change. While attempting to scrounge up enough spare change for two bus tickets, she made a mental note that she had enough in her wallet for Robin to have a decent dinner after lunch. If Alex wanted to eat, she would have to snatch something for herself from a convenience store. She'd have to borrow a vehicle too. They would go as far as the gas left in it would take them and sleep for a few hours for ditching it. After that she had no idea what they would do. She had to find money from somewhere...

By the time they made it to the café, Alex was on her last leg. She had to rest her eyes even if it was for five minutes. An older woman gave them a gruff welcome, and Alice was well aware of how the woman's eyes lingered on Robin a little too long. She must have been the Annette woman Sven mentioned, but she would deal with that later.

"An order of the odango and coffee please." She mumbled in passing as she led Robin to a booth in the back where she would be able to observe anyone who came in or went out. It was also close to the restroom that she assumed would have at least a window for escape if necessary. When they sat down, she wrapped one of her arms around Robin's shoulder and rested her own head on top of the child. In such a position, she'd be able to feel if someone attempted to take her away. "Can you watch the door for me? If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, let me know. I just need a few minutes." She explained softly and closed her eyes.

"Wait! Look at the tv!"

Alex couldn't stop a disappointed groan at her power nap being interrupted before it had a chance to begin. Robin only watched cartoons on television, and there was no way a colorful mascot could have any importance. Thus, she was more than a little confused as to why Robin directed her attention to a news broadcast.

_Authorities have officially acknowledged that the killing of Senator Langston may be linked to a series of assassinations that have occurred over the past six to seven years. While Langston's murder was the first to leave video evidence, there appears to be a common trend. Each victim was considered high profile and charged with a serious crime. Perhaps even stranger is the fact that each victim was exonerated of all charges and found dead within a year of the close of the case. Authorities now fear that a serial killing vigilante is on the loose. A reward for information or leads is expected to be released soon._

"Langston..." She whispered as she closed her eyes once again. The station had begun playing what she assumed was a heavily edited version of the video evidence they referenced. "Don't look at that. Get one of those books with the math problems out and work on that."

Whoever was assigned to that kill was a rookie. That stunt with grabbing the late senator's head was fueled by emotion, and the doctor did not tolerate emotion. He also didn't tolerate toying with targets. Each mission was designed to take no more than an hour. Twenty minutes to get in, twenty to get out, five to kill, and fifteen minute grace period for any unforeseen situations such as clearing away any evidence. Even the kill was meant to follow a specific format. Strangulation, single gunshot, or lethal injection depending on the circumstances surrounding why that particular person had to die were the only choices. Never had anyone been given the order to be so...physical, and she highly doubted the doctor had changed his tactics in the six months she had been gone. When people deviated from the format, things went wrong. Alex knew that all too well.

The organization, if it could be called that, had no name. They didn't need one. All they needed was a goal, and that goal was to deliver justice to the untouchables. The motto: Leave no traces. For years it had been only herself and the doctor. He played the role of mother and father. He trained her and embedded in her very soul that evil had to be struck down where it stood. Evil in most instances had the money and power to buy their way out of all trouble which is why she played the role of judge and executioner. Alex started out with petty criminals but as time passed and her skills developed, her missions became more elaborate. Businessmen, lawyers, politicians, judges...If they were corrupt, they were killed. In the back of her mind, she always knew that one person could not completely eliminate evil, but she had not expected the doctor to bring in children. Their ages and ethnicity varied, and the only thing they had in common was that they were lost and alone in the world. She could still vividly see their eyes they fought against each other for the right to live and acceptance...

"How about two orders of that for us as well, Annette?"

"Only because I feel sorry for your company."

Alex jerked up, and immediately her hand was in her pocket. The feeling of her handgun brought her back to alertness, but she still mentally cursed her sloppiness. Somehow the memory became a nightmare and kept her out long enough for not only their food to be on the table but for them to have company as well. Sure enough, Sven and Eve were alive and well and making themselves comfortable on the other side of the table. "I thought I told you to give me some sign if anyone suspicious came in." She hissed as she began mapping out her escape plan. Flip the table and then fire a warning shot. Keep up sporadic shots while backing to the bathroom and making sure Robin was behind her at all times. Once Robin was safe, she would return to finish the job. She was slowly raising her knee when Robin gave what could have been the dumbest or even mature answer Alex had ever heard.

"But they didn't make me uncomfortable."

Smart ass.


	4. Chapter 4: Trust me

Sven managed to catch one with his net while Eve's attack knocked the explosive from another's hand. The three still standing took a moment to glance down at their fallen comrade who struggled to free himself and then looked at each other. The one who formerly held the potential bomb nodded to the other two who immediately sprung into action while the third began dragging his netted companion back towards the car to obviously track down the mystery woman. As a gentleman, he could under no circumstances allow that to happen. The largest of three rushed toward him while the other went to Eve. Eve blocked his baton with her shield, and Sven dodged to the side before activating the electric wire in his attaché case. His opponent fell twitching to the ground, leaving him free to chase down the vehicle. He ran across the park, but the vehicle peeled from the curb. With a push of a button, his pistol launched from his case, and he fired off two shots towards the wheels of the vehicle. His shot would have hit had the vehicle not turned sharply out of his line of vision. "Damn..." He muttered as he turned around just in time to see Eve deliver the final blow to her opponent's head to render him unconscious.

He could already hear sirens in the distance which meant there would be no need to call the authorities. The wait also gave him time to come up with a reasonable story to explain the situation. He explained how he was a sweeper but taking a break to train his girlfriend on self-defense techniques and happened to encounter men who he believed to have bounties on their heads. No one should have been able to contradict his explanation, and he had a feeling that the two men would not be forthcoming with any other explanation. The encounter and paper work took a little over an hour and a half, but their arrival at Annette's place was still within the set time. On the other hand, maybe they were a little later than expected because Alex was apparently sleeping using Robin's head as a pillow. The position must not have been out of the ordinary considering Robin focused more on her dumplings and television than her guardian. As for her guardian, at first Sven pegged her for twenty-five but asleep she looked even younger despite the bags under her eyes. He almost hated to disturb her, but there was no time better than the present to get the full story.

"Hi Mr. Sven! Hi Eve!"

"Hi there. You can drop the mister. Eve told me your name is Robin. That's a pretty name." He stated as he let Eve slide into the booth first so that he could sit across from Alex. "How about two orders of that for us as well, Annette?" He commented, and the sudden movement must have startled her. Like at the park, her hand went to her side which confirmed that she was armed. Even so, her little side bar with Robin lessened the gravity of the situation enough for him to smile. "Relax. Those two of those guys are in police custody, and the other two are wondering where they'll get a spare tire." He commented in an attempt to distract Alex from her annoyance at Robin, and from her glare, she took the bait.

"Hey kid. Put your head phones on and do two of your math pages while I talk to the nice man." She said as she pulled out a children's workbook from one of the side pocket. The headphones she mentioned must have been designed only to block sound because they weren't attached to anything. When Robin was settled in, Alex's attention was back on him. "Funny story about that doctor stuff. I only shared that because I thought you'd be dead. Now I really do have to kill you for knowing too much about me." He felt Eve tense beside him at the mention of his death, but he shook his head to reassure her that the situation was under control. Alex's hand didn't move to her pocket after all.

"Well that's not very fair. We only know your name and that there's an evil doctor chasing you."

"Thanks for confirming that you know too much."

Well he walked right into that verbal trap. "If you're dead set on killing us, fine. At least let me go to the grave knowing why 'your kid' has such a high bounty on her head." Immediately he knew he hit a nerve. Her glare was ice before, but now she gave new meaning to words if looks could kill. "Look at this. I'm just reaching for a piece of paper." He quickly added as he reached down for his wallet. To prove his intentions, he held it up in order for her to see his every move as withdrew the bounty poster. He slid it across the table to sit back to enjoy the show, and she didn't disappoint. Surprise, frustration, anger all flitted across her face before she slammed her fist against the table. "Perfect. Now I have people like you after me...Do you have any idea how many people might have seen this?" She asked through clenched teeth as she splayed her hand over the picture to likely ensure that Robin did not see what it was now that the rattling table had caught her attention.

Now that she was the one in need of information, he took the opportunity to light a cigarette. "You didn't answer my question, so why should I answer yours?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Sven."

"But we know a cat that survived more than his nine lives." Sven couldn't resist a soft chuckle when Alex's eyes darted towards Eve at her sudden interruption. She must have been accessing the situation in her own way, and Sven was interested in her thoughts.

"He never met me."

"He met people far worse. People who wouldn't think twice about hurting innocent people to meet their objectives." Sven easily caught that Chronos numbers IV and VIII reference just as easily as he caught the return of the silver car through the window.

"Ok. I'll bite. How do you know how bad I am, kid?" Like Sven, Alex reclined back and draped her arm around Robin's shoulders in order to glance over at her work.

"You were going to protect her against those men in white, and you always hesitate to draw your weapon. I hoped it was because you didn't want to accidentally injure anyone." Impressive. Her thought process was almost identical to his. Maybe Alex was a little impressed as well based on her silence and the way her glare gradually softened back to the indifference she wore at the park.

"More like I don't have bullets to waste" was her response, but it lacked most of the malice she used towards Sven. Unfortunately the peace between them lasted only seconds before her eyes narrowed again and she snatched away Robin's book and headphones and shoved it back in her bag. "Anyway, it's been...fun, but we gotta go." Sven glanced back and noted that the car was in the process of being parked. They only had a minute at the most.

"I suppose you're right, but I was hoping they wouldn't spot us."

"You knew?" She asked incredulously as she began tugging Robin from the booth. With both her heavy bag and Robin in tow, she wouldn't far very fast. He and Eve could have provided another distraction, but he didn't want Alex to get away again with no guarantee that they would see each other. Rather than responding to her, he nodded towards Annette as he stood and grabbed his case. "Later Annette. I can't afford to take care of any damage done to your place."

"Be safe."

Without further explanation, he scooped Robin under one arm and his attaché in the other. "What are you doing?! Put her down!" Alex shouted, and this time she actually drew her gun, aiming at his head. Surprisingly, it seemed to be a basic handgun, but he had more important things on his mind. Like getting them all out alive.

"Just trust me. You can't escape with both Robin and the bag, and I doubt that you'd be willing to leave either. And don't say that you planned to kill them. We're not going to let you." He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to think of any way to get out of her current situation that did not include relying on him, but she eventually lowered her weapon and nodded.

"Then what's your idea, Mr. Gentleman?"

"You trusting me, and sticking close."


	5. Chapter 5: Are You a Good Person?

His brilliant idea was trust? Sven expected her to trust him after he kept silent about the men in white returning? She hated to admit it, but he was right. Unlike before when she had people buying her time to escape, she couldn't move as fast as necessary with her bag and Robin holding her down. "I think you need to elaborate on the plan because trust isn't going to be enough."

"When we get outside, run to the right, cross the street, and take the first left. Our car is the green one."

"Not happening. I'll be behind you." She would not let some random man take Robin out of her sight even for a second. He might have caught her subtle message because he did not argue the point. Instead he and Eve almost casually strolled to the door, and she had to give them credit for being confident. On the other hand, she somewhat wanted to discredit the girl for being so...blank. It was weird how Eve read her like a book. It was true that she didn't want to endanger innocent people and preferred shooting as a last resort. However, she did have a breaking point, and touching Robin was dangerously close to it.

True to her word, she was right on their heels with her gun out and ready. There were only two men this time, but their stun batons had been replaced with dart guns. What happened at the park to make them change their tactics from close range to projectiles? She almost ran into Sven's back when he suddenly stopped to allow Eve to go first to, as Alex assumed, open the door seeing as Sven's hands were occupied. Eve might have had the ability to smash things with her hands, but how could Sven call himself a man by allowing her to go first? Alex was ready to verbally blast him on that point and take Eve's place, mostly to ease Robin's nerves, but suddenly the entire area was covered in smoke. She didn't have the chance to be surprised. Instead she immediately recalled Sven's instructions of going to the right. She didn't even see either of their hands move. "How did you-" She started to ask when they had cleared the smoke, but Sven cut her off.

"Later."

The car was close, but not close enough. She glanced back right before she turned the corner just in time for her to see the two men jumping back into their vehicles while wiping their eyes. Sven hustled Robin in the car while Eve jumped into the passenger seat. Alex shoved her bag in and had barely closed the door before Sven floored the gas. She looked out the back window and exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding when the silver car drove past. They were safe. "You ok?" She asked as she reached across Robin to secure her in her seat belt. It was then that she noticed that unlike in the park, Robin wasn't trembling in fear. She was actually smiling as she nodded.

"Mmhm. Sven and Eve wouldn't have let anything bad happen to us."

Ok...Had she missed the memo where Sven and Eve were the solutions to all of their problems? "Look. I know they helped us, but you know how this works. The only person you trust is me." Alex explained well aware that Sven smirked from his seat.

"I know, but we can trust them. Eve said that sweepers protect good people from the bad ones."

If that was true, the sentiment only applied to the good who didn't have bounties on their heads. Alex didn't have the opportunity to correct Robin because Sven decided to interrupt. "Are you a good person, Alex?"

"Alex is the best! She can beat anyone! She's also really nice too. This one time, these boys were kicking a puppy and and and Alex-" Before Robin could elaborate any further, Alex covered Robin's mouth with her hand.

"Sven. The car is back." At Eve's observation, Alex immediately moved to her knees in order to get a clear view and sure enough, the silver car had returned. Damn they were persistent this time. "Can't you go any faster?" Alex asked alternating between looking over his shoulder to check his speed and the car behind them.

"Excuse us for not having a racecar!" As if their pursuers were trying to affirm his point, they suddenly rammed into the back of the car. Thankfully Robin was wearing her seatbelt and remained in her seat, but Alex wasn't as lucky. The impact caused her to slam into the back of Sven's seat, and that was the final straw.

"Oh this is ridiculous!" She exclaimed as she rolled back her shoulder to make sure nothing was out of place. The time had come for her to take matters into her own hands because obviously relying on the sweepers was a bad idea. She pulled her gun from her pocket and checked the magazine. Only three shots left, and she was going to waste them on people she barely knew. On the brighter side, rolling down the window gave her an outlet for a marginal amount of her frustration. "Robin. Lay across the seat and hold my leg as tight as you can." She ordered before she pulled herself through the window so that she could sit in the sill. If she had more bullets, she would have aimed from inside, but she had to make every shot count at this point.

"What are you doing? Get back in the car!" Sven was apparently so determined to shout at her that he rolled his window down as well to ensure that he was heard.

"Shut up and let me focus!"

"If they hit us again, you're going to fall."

"I don't backseat drive, so don't backseat shoot!"

The concern he showed was nearly suffocating. When she raised her gun, the driver must have anticipated that she would aim for him because he began swerving which made it impossible for her to get a clean shot. To make the situation worse, he was slowly getting closer. With the clock ticking, she was forced to lower her aim down to the driver side wheel and fired, but the shot was wide off. Mentally cursing herself, she aimed once again, but this time she tried for the passenger side. The bullet pierced the wheel higher than she expected but the result was all that mattered. The tire blew out causing the driver to lose control and spin into the rail. To add insult to injury, she waved at her pursuers before sliding back in the car. "Now that we have that settled, how about just dropping us off at the nearest bus stop? I'll even pretend that you don't exist."

"Better idea. Why not stay at our safe house for a few days? You look exhausted and both of you probably need a shower and a few meals."

"Sven...Is our debt low enough to take in two more people? You know he'll be back in a few days."

"It'll be fine. I have a feeling we're about to come into some money, Eve. The bounty for whoever killed Langston will be released soon, and he'll be the first in line to go after it."

Alex felt her control of the situation slipping away as she listened to the back and forth between Sven and Eve about their living situation especially when Robin turned her puppy dog eyes on her as well. Robin sleeping in a safe house seemed a lot better than on a bench again. A day or two would give her a chance to rest, and figure out exactly who this "he" was that Eve and Sven kept referring to. Her gut told her the person they spoke about was also tied to that curious cat comment from earlier. Her gut also told her that staying with them would only lead to more headaches, but with her down to her last bullet and almost no money, her options were limited. "I can't pay you for letting us stay, but I can offer you some advice. Stay as far away from the Langston assassination as you can."


	6. Chapter 6: Candy and Nosebleeds

Hm...It took her two shots to hit the tire just as it had taken him which meant she knew her way around a gun. He also could not disregard the fact that she had initially aimed for the driver. He was generally a good judge of character, but she was growing increasingly harder to read, especially with her cryptic warning. "You should be careful with comments like that. If we hadn't been getting along so well, I'd think you had something to do with his murder." He responded as he watched her in the rear view mirror.

"That wasn't me in the video if that's what you're thinking. I didn't even know about it until we got to that café." Her eyes darted towards Robin in what Sven picked up as a sign that she couldn't, or rather wouldn't, speak about the subject more than necessary in front of her kid. "But I can honestly say that it couldn't have happened to a nicer person."

"No one deserves to die like that. Anyone with the ability to do that much damage should use their skills protecting people." Eve retorted as she turned her head to look out the window.

"Langston was bastard. Whoever killed him is protecting the world. It was only a matter of time before he hurt someone again." Alex responded in what would have been nonchalance if her eyes hadn't narrowed.

"People can change up until the point of their death."

"Settle down." Sven finally interjected. Even if Alex and Eve kept their voices at a reasonable level, he could feel the tension radiating off of Eve. They were obviously going to get along as well as oil and water. "That person might have been protecting the world, but they went about it entirely the wrong way." He explained in an attempt to find a middle ground.

"Maybe, but sometimes the wrong way is the only way to get something done." She muttered as she leaned her head against the window of the car and closed her eyes.

Rather than push the subject or demand an explanation, they drove in silence with the exception of Robin calling their attention to attractions as they passed and Alex likely making empty promises about them returning. Even with everything that had happened in the past few hours, the two took everything in stride. How long had they been living such a life to be so completely used to it? Better yet, how could someone so sweet be worth a $1.2 billion bounty? Even though Alex didn't strike him as the talkative type, she would have to answer at least that question for him. To get through that conversation, he was going to need nicotine and lots of it. "Mind if we stop for a minute? I'm out of cigarettes, and we might as well gas up too."

"Your car. Knock yourself out."

He expected more resistance considering the circumstances, but she went so far as to get out as well (with Robin hot on her heels) while he was at the pump. From his position, he could see the top of her head moving towards the drink isle.

"She smells like Train use to." Eve remarked. Sven hadn't even noticed that she had rolled down his window to address him.

"Really? I think she's more like how you use to be. I wouldn't be surprised if she really has killed before and maybe Robin pulled her from that life." He explained as he replaced the nozzle.

"Not completely..." At that comment, Sven could only nod.

By the time he had gotten in the store, Alex had just gotten to the register with two tall energy drinks and a candy bar and was searching through her wallet. She certainly had an addiction to caffeine. When he stepped behind her, Robin dashed by and began tugging on the bottom of her shirt. "Can I have this?" She begged. It was a cheap doll that most children would not give a second glance to in favor of more elaborate toys. Alex looked down at the doll and back to her wallet before ruffling Robin's hair and nodding her approval. Sven couldn't help but smile at their interaction, but what happened next destroyed the moment. Robin was too young to catch the move, but Sven saw it clearly. Alex purposely dropped a coin and when Robin bent down to pick it up, she slide the candy from the counter and back to the shelf. One mystery was solved. They dressed so badly because Alex didn't have money to get them anything better. "Hey...Can you take her back to the car? I'll be there in a second." Alex suddenly asked when her pocket began to vibrate.

"Hm? Sure, but-"

"Thanks." She abruptly cut him off as she grabbed her drinks and strode out of the door and off in the direction of the outdoor restrooms. Now if she thought for a second that he would assume that she had a sudden emergency, she wasn't as street smart as she portrayed. He grabbed the candy she had put back and told the cashier the brand of cigarettes he wanted. While the cashier counted his change, Sven knelt down to be sure that Robin listened carefully to what he had to say. "I'm going after Alex ok? Go straight to the car and sit in there with Eve. She'll take care of you. We'll be back soon. Understand?" When she nodded, he patted her head twice and hung around long enough to make sure she got inside safely before quickly placing his items in his pocket and taking off in the direction Alex had gone. She couldn't have gone far. The entire time she had not taken her eyes off of Robin, and it was unlikely she would be outside shouting distance. Fortunately he was right. She had indeed gone off to the restroom, but she didn't go inside. Instead, she held a whispered conversation that he could barely make out.

"So your latest tactic is sending sweepers after us? I don't get you. You always said leave no traces, but you're purposely creating a paper trail... Wait! You son of a bitch! You're trying to lock me in a corner. If you keep pushing me, and I'm going to start pushing back. I won't let you have her."

From around the corner, he heard the audible snap of her phone closing and something hitting the wall. "I know you're listening. Did you at least make sure she got to the car?" She stated as she came around the corner with her hands crossed over her chest. She seemed more worn out than upset at least.

"Do you blame me for being a little curious? You said an evil doctor was after you, and you're being chased by men in white suits. It's only natural for me to want to know more especially since you said that they would kill us." He responded, taking out one of his newly purchased cigarettes.

"Look. I'm willing to accept that you're a good guy, but you don't need to be involved in this."

Rather than roll his eyes at her answer, he lit his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Let's not play games. Eve and I aren't some random citizens. You've seen what she can do, and I'm just as capable of taking care of myself. I could probably even help you, but I can't do anything unless you work with me a little."

"Your eye says differently." She deserved a point for that comeback, but he would not back down.

"And you fell asleep at Annette's place in broad daylight with people after you."

"Go to hell." She attempted to brush past him, but Sven grabbed her upper arm. Her response was pivoting so that her elbow would come back towards his face, but he blocked it with his forearm.

"I don't fight women." He muttered as he released her arm, but the look in her eye told him this was far from over.

"That's too bad. I fight men." She responded with a wink as she completed her pivot with an awkward spin kick towards his head.

With his back to the wall, he could only duck and sidestep out of her way. "I know you're frustrated but don't take it out on me." Despite his request, she didn't miss a beat. Her punch was straight to his throat, but he was able to catch her fist. Her moves weren't as quick as they were at the park, but they could still prove to be fatal if they hit. He took advantage of her momentum to twist her arm over her head and lock her into place against his chest. Rather than panic and try to free herself, she brought her head back against his nose. "Damnit woman!" He stumbled back holding his nose, but Alex didn't take the opportunity to continue her attack.

"You know you could have broken my arm if you followed through."

"I told you I don't fight women." He nearly hissed as he checked his hand for blood.

"Hold on." She ordered before ducking into the bathroom and returning a few seconds later with paper towels wet with cold water that she held out to him. "Sorry about that."

Rather than taking her napkins, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the candy he purchased early. Like her, he extended it almost like a peace offering. "Can we at least agree that you won't hit me?"

She nodded, but hesitated slightly before she took his gift. "Alright. I'll...tell you what I can when Robin's settled in."

Who would have guessed that chocolate would be her weakness?


	7. Chapter 7: The Original

**Author's note: Hi readers! I just wanted to address a few things. First, I address reviews through private messages because I have no idea how to comment on the reviews any other way. I didn't want anyone to think that I ignore them completely. I really do appreciate them all! Second, I made a small mistake. I just finished rereading the manga and realized there was a character (an awesome character at that) referred to as the Doctor. Therefore, the doctor in this story has been renamed the Professor from this point on. No, the Black Cat Doctor and this Doctor/Professor were not the same or similar at all. It was just a slip up on my part. Third, Train, Rinslet, Janos, and others WILL start popping up after this chapter. Fourth, starting around chapter 10 when more details have been revealed, I'm going to have a character bios of all my inserted characters similar to the manga. Uhh...I think that's about all I needed cover! On to the chapter.  
**

Alex hated to admit that Robin was right about Sven being trustworthy, but maybe the kid was on to something. Even if she managed to get the last hit in their little confrontation, Sven was the victor. He had the opportunity to break or at the least bruise her arm while she was in his hold before she countered but he did not. True to his word, he did not make a move to fight or harm her. At some point during their escape, she had subconsciously made the decision not to kill him. However, now his gift just barely gave her encouragement to feed him enough information to stand a fighting chance.

During the entire ride back, she reflected on the phone call. The Professor was slowly attempting to drive her crazy. Not only was the organization after her, he added sweepers to the mix. She was already on guard 24/7, but now...Now she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Members of the organization were limited to when they could strike, but sweepers were wild cards. It felt as though she was literally standing against an army with her back to the wall. It was a wall she couldn't even climb to escape because Robin stood behind. Why did life have to be so hard?

On the brighter side, their safe house was small yet nice. The two story building on the outskirts of the city would be difficult to find especially with the car hidden in a closed garage. The downstairs consisted of a kitchen and sitting area while the upstairs had three small bedrooms. She noticed that rather than offering her and Robin the third room, Sven suggested his own. While a bed would have been nice, she insisted that they take the couch downstairs instead. If anything went down while during their stay, she would have preferred running out the door rather than jumping with Robin from the second floor.

She was somewhat surprised that they were pretty normal. Eve spent her time reading while Sven alternated between working underneath the hood of their car and tinkering with his briefcase or rather his attaché. It was definitely impressive and suited his personality just based on the weaponry inside that he showed her. She actually wouldn't have minded getting her hands on something like that. To add to his good guy vibe, he was actually a great cook. At Robin's request, he prepared omelets for dinner and even went so far as to add a ketchup smiley face to hers. They really were too nice to be involved in her life.

By 10 pm, the excitement of the day had officially worn Robin out. Within minutes after her shower, she was tucked in and asleep. Alex had showered as well and had settled on the floor at Robin's feet with her back resting on the couch. She had promised Sven an explanation, but seeing as he hadn't asked, she was beginning to think that maybe it was best that they be kept in the dark. Around 1 am, after she had consumed half of her first energy drink, the house finally went silent. She listened for another twenty minutes to make sure that everyone was asleep and eased her sneakers back on. Her plan was simple. Once she got his car started, she would grab Robin and disappear before anyone knew what happened. On the back of the math sheet Robin worked on earlier, she scribbled a quick note: _I'll try my best to convince them that you don't know anything but keep your guard up. Thanks for the meal._

She snagged Sven's keys from the kitchen table along with her bag and crept outside. Guilt ate her conscious, but stealing his car was the right thing to do. She would even leave a tip later on so that he could get it back. Removing the license plate was easy enough, but starting the car proved to be an entirely different matter. Sven had done it so easily earlier, but it only stalled for her. "Are you kidding me..." She mumbled as she alternated between trying to start it and checking to make sure no one was coming. After the seventh failure, frustration had gotten the best of her and her attention was devoted entirely to her task.

"You have an odd way of showing gratitude."

Sven's sudden appearance nearly caused her to jump out of her skin. He still had on his suit pants and shirt, but he had discarded his jacket. So he hadn't been asleep after all? "You were waiting to see what I was going to do." She accused as she stepped from the car and leaned back against it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're not going to make me feel like the bad guy. YOU were the one stealing MY car." He retorted as he waved her note in her face, but Alex only scoffed.

"I was going to get it back to you. Besides, you said you wanted to help."

Alex could tell he was close to losing his temper by the way his good eye twitched. Did the gentleman have a breaking point? "Inside. Now." Based on that response between gritted teeth, obviously not.

"Only if you ask me nicely."

"Fine. You can stay out here," was his curt response as he turned to go back inside.

Her gut told her that he was actually serious with that threat. "Wait. I'm sorry. I tend to get defensive when I'm flustered."

"Yeah. My sore nose told me that." He responded without even turning around, but at least he didn't close the door behind him which Alex took as a sign that she was indeed welcomed inside.

Rather than going back to his room, Sven had gone into the kitchen and sat at the table. He nodded to the chair opposite of him. "Ready to talk?"

"Alright. You first. What happened to your eye?" She asked as she turned the chair in order to straddle it.

"Sorry, but I'd prefer to know your real name before I give out my life story. Is Alex short for something?"

Her real name was a fair enough question. "I've gone by Alex for so long that it might as well be my real name. I never had a need for a last name. What about you?"

"Sven Vollfied. How old are you?"

"Now you're getting personal. I'm closer to twenty-three than twenty-two at this point." She hesitated with that question, but there had to be thousands of women named Alex in the world who were twenty-two years old. "If your next question is about Robin, she's six. She's not my daughter either."

"I didn't think she was. Her hair's an interesting color."

"Yeah. I let her pick her hair dye when we ran, and she wanted this really bright blue at first, but I talked her into something that would almost pass for black." Thinking back, perhaps that was not the best idea she ever had. They needed to blend in as much as possible.

"Does that mean you're not naturally a red-head?"

"Is your hair naturally green?"

"So you don't like talking about your hair. Point noted." He said as he flicked his ash into the tray. "To answer your earlier question, I lost my eye years ago when I was with the IBI. I was ambushed, and my old partner had to rescue me. I made it out, but he didn't."

She wasn't expecting a story like that behind his eye. She thought maybe he lost it in a car accident or a similar unfortunate event. The IBI part was troubling, but even they would not have the resources to find her. At least, she hoped they wouldn't. "Wow. Now my story doesn't seem nearly as bad. You should be old enough to remember about...20 years ago when there was an increase in the number of mistrials in high profile cases. Dozens of millionaires and influential people were getting away with all types of crimes ranging from embezzlement and murder. It was obvious they were guilty, but juries were tainted, witnesses went missing...It was mess. This one guy, I call him Professor...Well, he has a PhD or something like that in neuroscience. Anyway, he decided that enough was enough. He created an organization whose goal was to do what the courts didn't. If the juries failed to send them to the chair, the organization finished the job. The number one rule was not to get caught or leave any traces behind." Alex crossed her arms over the back of the chair and rested her chin on top of it. The whole experience was strange. She never thought she would be talking to anyone about the Professor or the organization. It was all information she was prepared to take to the grave.

"So an organization of assassins taking the law into their own hands."

"No. They're supposed to be renegades and vigilantes." They were not assassins. At least they weren't supposed to be assassins. Assassins were murderers.

"Alex," he discarded his cigarette in the tray in order to lean forward to look her in the eye. "If this organization had anything to do with Langston's death, they're assassins. You saw the video."

"You don't understand. Assassins are awful people that kill for money and pleasure. The organization kills to right wrongs." She hissed as she shook her head.

"You said it yourself that Langston was assassinated. Even if you hadn't, why are you running from them? Sounds like you respect them."

Damn him for being so perceptive. "I...I don't agree with the methods the Professor's using now. He wanted to drag Robin into the organization, and she isn't cut out for this lifestyle. She's a good kid, you know? I'm just trying to get her a normal life" Now that Robin had become the topic of conversation, Alex leaned back to make sure Robin was still on the couch asleep. She assumed so because Robin had yet to move. That was good. Robin probably hadn't slept comfortably in days. "Your turn to share. What's the deal with Eve? Normal kids don't have transforming hands." She asked as she resumed her earlier position.

"She was a bio weapon being controlled by a crime lord name Torneo." She knew he wanted to, but Sven didn't press her for more information about Robin's involvement. "She can transform her entire body because of nanomachines. He wanted to use her as a killing machine, but she didn't want that life. She actually almost killed me before, but she cried while doing it. I couldn't just abandon her after that. She's the reason why we operate on a no-killing basis." During his explanation, Alex couldn't help but notice how his face softened. Eve must have meant a lot to him. "I have two more questions for you. Were those guys from earlier a part of the organization?"

That was a good question that up until her phone call with the professor, she would have answered in the affirmative. "I didn't recognize them, but I always assumed so. Now that I think about, their tactics are strange because the organization doesn't do visible attacks. I guess they could just as easily be sweepers. What are you thinking?"

"Their weapons weren't made for killing. Stun batons are designed to stun, so my guess is that your professor wants either you or Robin dragged back alive."

Alex nodded in agreement at his assessment. "I don't know what he's thinking. Sometimes it feels like he wants to kill Robin to give me no other option but to return. Other times like now with the bounty specifically on Robin, it feels as if he wants to snatch her away to lure me back. I won't let him have either of those options. Anyway, I'm almost at my conversation quota for the night. What was your second question?"

"What was your role in the organization?"

Alex exhaled slowly as she stood. Of course he would wait until the end to get to the most important question. "I was the original that he modeled all the others after. Goodnight." She didn't respond until she had reached the door to avoid seeing his reaction.

Like before, she settled back on the floor and slouched back to get as comfortable as possible. She could risk brief naps, but she had barely closed her eyes before Sven knelt down in front of her.

"I know there's a lot that you left out, but there's also a lot that you're afraid to admit. You didn't run just because of Robin. There's at least a small part of you that knows that organization is wrong. No matter what you did in the past, we'll help as long as you don't want to return." He whispered before squeezing her knee and going upstairs, presumably to his room.

"As long as I don't want to return..." She repeated softly to herself. She had not thought that far ahead into the future. She knew she wouldn't let Robin go back, but what would she do once her primary reason for running was gone? Obviously she wouldn't be going to sleep with all the questions running through her mind, but the only thing she knew for sure was that she was starting to believe him.


End file.
